


Strong

by GirlDressedInBlack



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-06 22:15:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11610045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GirlDressedInBlack/pseuds/GirlDressedInBlack
Summary: In the early days of the vault the Mistress learns about real strength.





	Strong

**Author's Note:**

> So this is pretty much for cielamisseh on tumblr because Missy is strong and not any weaker for her tears and that's just a fact.

The Mistress watches him, gaze sharp.

“I am strong.” She says certainly, voice unwavering.

The Doctor looks at her too, stepping around the bed. His eyes don’t leave her.

“You are strong.” He agrees as she turns to keep facing him.

“You are a definition of strong.” He continues, standing about an arm’s length from her, “You are powerful and dangerous and have hurt so many.”

“You have destroyed and broke and tortured. You have burned and razed and annihilated.” He keeps talking. The Doctor’s voice does not raise above a conversational tone.

“You agree then.” The Time Lady says quickly before he can say anything else. She does not move from her position either.

Slowly the Time Lord nods his head.

“I do.” He says, the words vibrating around them- waiting to hold everything he is about to tell her.

“But your definition is wrong.” He says certainly, voice unwavering.

“Everyone you hurt- you called them weak. Everyone who cried. Everyone who bled. Everyone who died. You called them cowards, feeble- you looked at them like the dirt under your feet.” The Doctor says calmly, still staring into the Mistress’ eyes.

She can’t reply. She’s about to respond with her usual dismissive response towards blubbering and sentimentality but he speaks first.

“But they weren’t any of those things. They were strong. They were strong Missy. To feel for other people is strong. To grieve is strong. To be scared and keep going anyway is strong. To show emotion is strong.” He says.

She is silent.

The Mistress stands opposite him, eyes dry and lips together. She stares at him evenly.

“You haven’t allowed yourself to feel for so long Missy. You haven’t let yourself grieve. You haven’t acknowledged that you’re scared. You can’t just keep acting forever Missy- it will kill you.” The Doctor says. He looks down at his hand and raises it, palm up towards her. His eyes go straight back to her face.

“I don’t want to keep fighting.” He tells her honestly.

The Mistress bypasses his hand, wrapping her arms around him and letting her tears fall into his jacket.

“I’m so tired.” She admits.

“I’m so tired of being a Time Lady.” She tells him, sniffing.

“I’m tired of that voice in my mind telling me that I can’t feel- that it’s primitive to put emotion above logic.” Missy says, voice breaking.

“I know,” The Doctor says, holding her close, “But you can be strong now, with me. It’s a different kind of strong but it’s a beautiful too.” He tells her.

The Mistress feels the dampness of his tears in her hair and clings to him more tightly.

“Why is being strong so hard?” She asks him, face buried in his shoulder.

“Because if it was easy it wouldn’t take any strength at all.” He replies solemnly, head bent to hers.


End file.
